Imago
Golden State Warriors
Imago
Golden State Warriors
The intriguing thing about most legendary sports careers and stories is that the legend never considered themselves a legend. Such was also the case with visionary John ‘Jackie’ Moore, who passed away earlier today at the age of 93. “I was just doing something I liked to do,” Moore said more than a decade ago, when he was asked to look back at his hoops legacy. He was a 6-foot-5, 192-pound forward at Philadelphia’s legendary Overbrook High School, who rose through the ranks and unexpectedly made it to the NBA. His career trajectory to the pros was the launchpad for standouts like Wilt Chamberlain.
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Moore grew up in Philadelphia and played a lot of basketball at the Haddington Recreation Center. “The playground always had some of the best players in the city; there was always a crowd of people waiting to play,” a humble Moore once said, who was also one of the top schoolboy players in Philly. He somehow made it to La Salle because local colleges weren’t looking at African-American players. Most of the team was from Philly, and they were good friends, so he made it work out for himself.
Moore was part of La Salle’s 1952 NIT team, which defeated Dayton for the championship. He scored eight points. The road ahead, though, was difficult. He went pro and landed on the Warriors’ 1955-56 championship team, featuring Paul Arizin, Neil Johnston, George Dempsey, Ernie Beck, and Tom Gola. Moore, a significant figure in Black history in the NBA, is often mentioned alongside Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, Harold Hunter, and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton.
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While Lloyd, a Hall of Famer, was the first Black to play an NBA game on October 31, 1950, Moore became the first Black to appear in a game in Warriors history on February 15, 1955. He was a member of the Syracuse Nationals and Milwaukee Hawks, too, averaging 2.7 points per game in his NBA career.
Amid the sad news of Moore’s death, Dub Nation celebrated one of their own before facing their rivals, the Lakers. Chase Center’s official social media handle announced a moment of silence for Moore. He is survived by his daughters, Felicienne Moore and Raushanah Qadree Muhsin (Luftee Muhsin), his grandchildren, Nasir Qadree (Chloe Louvouezo Qadree), Saquan Qadree, and Naomi Crowder, and his great-grandchildren, Nyla Collins, Zaire Louvouezo Qadree, and Myel Gebreyohannes.
In fact, it’s not just today that the Golden State celebrated the legend. In 2024, on his 92nd birthday, they unveiled their Classic Edition jersey, “paying homage to the uniform he wore as he changed the game.” Moore was also the first Black athlete to play for the men’s basketball team at La Salle. He took responsibility and mentored young ballers, including Chamberlain. Buddy Donnelly, a member of La Salle’s 1952 NIT team, aptly described the contribution of his former teammate. “He did a lot for basketball in this city. He was the second-best player to come out of Overbrook behind Wilt Chamberlain. We all liked Jackie.”
Jackie Moore was also a star at Philadelphia’s legendary Overbrook High School, a school later made famous by Chamberlain. For the Panthers, Moore won three consecutive Public League championships (1948-50) and, in 1949, scored 25 points in a league playoff game, the most in a playoff game at that time. For his contributions, both Overbrook High School and La Salle University inducted Moore into their respective Halls of Fame.
How Warriors legend John ‘Jackie’ Moore struggled during his NBA days
The pathway to the NBA was never easy. He was fortunate to play for La Salle, but even Jackie Moore acknowledged that he had to be sensational to make his mark in a league dominated by white players. “If you were just as good as a white player, then the white player would get the job; they also had a limit on the number of black players in the league,” Moore said. His journey was proof of it.
Moore went undrafted in 1954, then signed with the Syracuse Nationals for the 1954-55 season. However, he appeared in only one game for 5 minutes, recording two points and one rebound. He was traded to the Hawks, where he again played only a single game on October 31, 1954. In 13 minutes, he had 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Then, on February 15, 1955, Moore finally signed with the Warriors. During their championship season in 1955-56, he played in 54 games and contributed significantly.
“Jackie and Earl Lloyd really helped to change things,” Ernie Beck said. “They played before Wilt Chamberlain and guys like Woody Sauldsberry and others. I’ve known Jackie since high school. He was the only African-American on our Warriors team. He was a very soft-spoken, quiet person who could really play basketball.”
Moore left the NBA in 1957 but continued playing professionally in the Eastern Basketball Association for the Sunbury Mercuries until 1960.
Written by
Edited by
Tanay Sahai